Longwall mining machine having pivoted cutter carriers

ABSTRACT

A coal plough composed of a beam carried by spaced-apart vertical supports disposed at the ends of the beam and engaging a guide plate at the mineral face side of the conveyor and by a further cantilever type support engaging a guide rail disposed at the stowage side of the conveyor. Tool carriers are attached to the mineral face side supports so as to pivot within a plane extending parallel to the axis of the beam. A spindle inclined downwardly towards the respective end of the beam is rotatably supported on each tool carrier. A floor cutter with mutually-perpendicular cutting edges intended for cutting the mineral face and the floor is mounted on each spindle so that rotation of the spindle will alter the cutting action effected by the floor cutter and hence control the operational position of the plough. Each tool carrier bears a set of staggered cutters and an inwardly-directed blade which serves as a skimming and loading tool in respect of these cutters. A mounting piece, which supports additional cutters, and a further blade are pivotably supported by each tool carrier and disposed above the first mentioned set of staggered cutters and the blade. The mounting piece and further blade are linked in an articulated manner so that one or other of these components can move to a working position.

United States Patent [191 Ostrop et al.

[ 51 Apr. 16, 1974 LONGWALL MINING MACHINE HAVING PIVOTED CUTTER CARRIERS [73] Assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia,

Westfalia, Germany [22] Filed: July 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 275,003

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Sughr uc, Rothwell, Mion,

Zinn & Macpeak 6/1958 Germany 299/34 [5 7] ABSTRACT A coal plough composed of a beam carried by spacedapart vertical supports disposed at the ends of the beam and engaging a guide plate at the mineral face side of the conveyor and by a further cantilever type support engaging a guide rail disposed at the stowage side-of the conveyor. Tool carriers are attached to the mineral face side supports so as to pivot within a plane extending parallel to the axis of the beam.

A spindle inclined downwardly towards the respective end of the beam is rotatably supported on each tool carrier. A floor cutter with mutually-perpendicular cutting edges intended for cutting the mineral face and the floor is mounted on each spindle so that rotation of the spindle will alter the cutting action effected bythe floor cutter and hence control the operational position of the plough.

Each tool carrier bears a set of staggered cutters and an inwardly-directed blade which serves as a skimming and loading tool in respect of these cutters. A mounting piece, which supports additional cutters, and a further blade are pivotably supported by each tool carrier and disposed above the first mentioned set of staggered cutters and the blade. The mounting piece and further blade are linked in an articulated manner so that one or other of these components can move to a working position.

14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEHAPR 16 I974 SHEET 1 BF 3 mm mmv mm? PM PM NNP mmvwmhmvm Vm.

f U Q mm M E S L @T J m@ I fl P 09 H mm mm: 6 mm? Voowm E E F m E PATENTEDAPR 16 I974 SHEET 2 [IF 3 Fig.2.

PATENTEMPMB IBM 3.804465 SHEET 3 BF 3 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mineral winning installation and to a winning machine or plough usable in such an installation. The invention is particularly, but not solely, concerned with a coal winning plough.

It is desirable to control the position of a mineral winning plough so that mineral is detached from the mineral face right down to the floor of the mine working. This is necessary not only to ensure that all the available mineral is removed but also to avoid unnecessary wear on the cutters and to avoid contamination of the mineral with rock and other debris. In practice ploughs tend to climb away from or cut down into the floor and one object of the invention is to provide an improved means of controlling the plough.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved plough.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention provides a mineral winningmachine having an elongate beam with pivotable tool carriers at its ends and means for controlling the position of the machine, said control means being in the form of adjustable floor cutters each disposed at a respective end of the beam, and mounted on a spindle rotatably supported by the associated tool carrier.

Further according to the invention there is provided a mineral winning installation comprising. a longwall conveyor, a plough composed of a beam supported at the mineral face side andat the stowage side of the conveyor, pivotable tool carriers at the ends of the plough, said control means being in the form of adjustable floor cutters each disposed. at a respective end of the beam and mounted on a spindle rotatably supported? by the associated tool carrier.

A plough made in accordance with the invention is especially suitable for winning thick seams of coal.

Preferably each spindle is coupled through a linkage to an actuator at the stowage side of the conveyor.

It is desirable for each of the aforementionedfloor cutters to have a first cuttingedge for engagementwith the floor of a mine working. and a secondcutting edge perpendicular to said first edge and intended for engagement with a mineral face of the working.

The spindle may also carry other cutters disposed above the floor cutter.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a mineral winning machine composed of an elongate beam carried on support means, tool carriers disposed at the ends of said beam and pivotable about axes extendinglaterally of the beam, cutters supported by each tool carrier and blades disposed inwardly of each carrier.

Preferably the blades associated with each tool carrier are composed of a lower blade attachedto the car rier and an upper blade disposed above said lower blade and pivoted to said carrier. The upper blade can then form a skimming tool for skimming a mineral face and the lower blade, which preferably projects and tapers to converge inwardly of the beam, forms a similar skimming tool andalso serves to load mineral into the conveyor.

According to a further feature of the invention each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said beam. The mounting piece and the upper blade associated therewith are preferably interconnected with a rod so that when the mounting piece is pivoted to a working position to present said further cutters to the mineral face, the upper blade connected thereto is pivoted to a non-working 0 position away from the face and vice versa.

Each set of upper and lower blades preferably have cutting edges extending over the entire height of the plough and covering the cutting depth of the cutters at the other end of the plough so as to skim off the ridges left by these cutters as the plough is moved in the direc tion of these cutters.

According to another feature of the invention the axis of pivotal movement of the mounting piece and the axis of pivotal movement of the associated upper blade connected thereto converge in a direction upwardly of said beam. The angular separation between these axes is preferably commensurate with the maximum angle of pivoting of the associated tool carrier. In this way when the further cutters of one mounting piece are in a working position they are disposed substantially perpendicular to the beam whereas the associated upper blade is inclined in relation to the beam and vice versa.

The interconnection between each of the mounting piece and the associated upper blade is advantageous since as the plough is moved along the face, the face acts to pivot the mounting piece and the upper blade connected thereto by acting upon the further cutters and the upper blade.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other features of the invention may become more apparent from consideration of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a mineral mining installation made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of the installation shown in FIG. 1; and a FIGS. 3 to 5 are diagrammatic representations of the controlmeans for the plough of the installation in various operative positions.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in the drawings, a mineral mining installation employs a longwall conveyor 11 arranged alongside the mineral or coal face 10 from which mineral is to be won. The conveyor 11 has two guide members which serve to guide a winning machine or plough 14 for movement back and forth along the conveyor 11. These guide members are in the form of an angled guide plate 12 disposed at the mineral face side of the conveyor and a guide rail 13 disposed at the stowage or goaf side of the conveyor 11.

The plough 14 has a main body in the form of a beam 15 extending parallel to the conveyor 11 and supported above the mineral face side of the conveyor 11. As support means the beam 15 rests at its ends on depending support members 16' which are slidably engaged with the guide plate 12. The beam 15 is also connected to an arm 17 projecting rearwardly from the face above the conveyor 11. This arm 17 is articulated to a further support member 18 which engages with the guide rail T3. The plough 14 is moved along the conveyor by a chain, indicated in FIG. 2, disposed at the mineral face side of the installation.

At each end of the plough 14 and outwardly relative to the relevant support member 16 there is provided a tool carrier 19. Each tool carrier 19 is pivotably connected to the associated support member 16 and can pivot about an axis 20 projecting laterally of the beam 13 and comparatively high in relation to the installation. Each carrier 19 seats in an arcuate guide way 20 in the associated support member 16 and the guideways 20 act to restrain movement of the carriers 19 towards and away from the face 10. The pivotal movement of the carriers 19 is limited by stop members 122. The stop members 122 may be fixed in position or adjustable as indicated generally by reference numerals 123.

Each carrier 19 supports a set of outwardly-directed staggered cutters 21 which are detachably inserted into pockets 22 in the carrier 19. Formed at the inner side of each carrier 19 and generally opposite the cutters 21, there is an angularly inclined blade 23 which, as described hereinafter, serves, inter alia, as a ramp for guiding mineral removed from the mineral face 10 into the conveyor 11.

Beneath the cutters 21 each carrier 19 also supports a further set of outwardly directed cutters, collectively denoted 34, which includes a floor cutter 24 having a floor cutting edge 25 and a mineral face cutting edge 26 disposed perpendicularly thereto. These cutting edges 25, 26 can be appreciated best from FIG. 3. The cutters 34 of each carrier 19 are in fact supported on an extension 28 of a spindle 27 rotatably mounted on the carrier 19 and extending in a vertical plane parallel to the conveyor 11. The spindle 27 is inclined downwardly towards the floor 29 of the mine working in a direction outwardly of the plough l4 and the end of the extension 28 may actually contact or lie very close to the floor 29 as represented diagrammatically in FIGS. 3 to 5. The cutters 24 form a control means for controlling the operational position of the plough 14 and adjustment of each of the cutters 24 is effected by pivotal movement of the associated spindle 17. Each spindle 17 has a bushing 31 near its upper end carrying an eccentric cam connected to a thrust rod 32. Each rod 32 generally extends upwardly and is connected to a further cam 33 which is controlled from the stowage side of the conveyor. The other cutter carried by each of the spindles 17 and movable therewith engages the mineral face above the level of the floor 29 and does not in general interfere with the action of the cutter 24 associated therewith.

Above each set of staggered cutters 21 there is provided a set of cutters 133 and a roof cutter 134 carried on a mounting piece 129 pivoted to the respective carrier 19. Inwardly therefrom and generally opposite thereto is a further blade 130 disposed above the respective blade 23 and directed inwardly of the plough 14. The blades 130 are pivoted to the carriers 19. The mounting piece 129 and the blade 130 at each end of the plough 14 are pivotable about axes 131 which converge in the upward direction. The angle between the axes 131 corresponds to the angle through which each carrier 19 can swing. Furthermore, the mounting piece 129 and the blade 128 at each end of the plough 14 are interconnected with a rod 132, itself articulated to the components 129, 128. The rod 132 ensures the blade 128 and associated mounting piece 129 move in unison without interferring with the pivotal movement of the components 128, 129 themselves.

The operation of the plough is as follows:

As the plough 14 is moved along the face 10 the foremost tool carrier 19 is pivoted to raise the blade 23 and lower the cutters 21 whilst the rearmost tool carrier 19 is pivoted to lower the blade 23 and raise the cutters 21. Thus in FIG. 1 the plough 14 is moved from right to left and the left-hand carrier 19 would be the foremost carrier whilst the right-hand carrier 19 would be the rearmost carrier. Mineral is then detached by the foremost cutters 21, 34 at a lower region of the face 10 whilst the blade 23 disposed at the rearward end of the plough serves to transfer the detached mineral into the conveyor 11 and between the beam 15 and the guide plate 12. The blade 23 also skims off the ridges in the face 10 left between the channels produced therein by the individual cutters 21, 34. The cutters 133 of the foremost mounting piece 129 are aligned in a substantially upright position, as shown at the left-hand side of FIG. 1, and also detach mineral from the central and higher regions of the face 10. The cutter 134 may act on mineral at the roof of the face 10. Some of the mineral detached by the cutters 134, 133 falls directly into the conveyor 1 1, Whilst the remainder falls between the conveyor 11 and the mineral face 10 and is collected by the blade 23 which follows up. When the cutters 133 are in this working position, the blade 130 attached to the associated mounting piece 129 through the rod 132 is inclined and pivoted away from the face 10 into a non-working position. In contrast, the rearmost blade 130 is in a substantially upright position and is pivoted out towards the face 10 into a working position. This rear blade 130 skims off the ridges at the central region of the face 10 left by the cutters 133 at the front end of the plough 14. The mineral removed by this skimming action passes into the conveyor 11 either directly or with the aid of the rearmost blade 23. When the direction of movement of the plough 14 is reversed the carriers 19, the mounting pieces 129 and the blades 130 all pivot in a reverse sense to that previously adopted so that the now-foremost cutters 34,21, 133 detach mineral and the now-rearmost blades 23, 130 skim the face 10 and collect the detached mineral.

In some circumstances it may be necessary to supplement the roof cutters 134 and provide the plough with additional tools designed to act at the roof part of the face 10. Thus, in FIG. 1 is depicted a tool carrier 135 pivotably attached to the centre of the beam 12 and carrying tools for acting on the roof part of the face 10. The tools on the carrier 135 can be built up to various heights as a superstructure, to adapt the plough to different seam thicknesses.

The separate control function performed by the cutters 24 can be appreciated from consideration of FIGS. 3 to 5 where FIG. 3 depicts the normal position of one of the cutters 24 with the cutting edge 25 cutting horizontally along the floor 29 and the edge 26 cutting perpendicular thereto. When it is desired to make the plough 14 cut deeper towards the floor 29 the cutter 24 is set to the position shown in FIG. 4 where the edge 25 is inclined downwardly. In successive movements of the plough 14 the face 10 is cut in the manner denoted by the numeral 30 with the floor adjacent the face inclining deeper. Usually when the plough 14 is cutting deeply enough the cutter 24 would be returned to the normal position depicted in FIG. 3. Conversely, when it is desired to make the plough l4 climb and cut less deeply towards the floor 29 the cutter 24 is set to the position shown in FIG. 5 where the numeral 30 again denotes the cutting contour of the plough 14.

We claim:

1. In a mineral winning machine composed of an elongate beam carried on supports spaced apart longitudinally of the beam and pivotable tool carriers disposed at the ends of the beam; the improvement comprising means for controlling the working position of the machine, said control means being in the form of adjustable floor cutters each mounted on a spindle rotatably supported on a respective one of the tool carriers.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the spindles are each inclined downwardly in a direction outwardly of the associated end of the beam.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein each floor cutter has a first cutting edge for engagement with the floor of a mine working and a second cutting edge perpendicular to said first edge and for engagement with a mineral face.

4. A machine according to claim 1, wherein each spindle supports at least one further cutter disposed above said floor cutter.

5. A mineral mining installation comprising:

a longwall conveyor;

an elongate beam;

a guide means provided at the mineral face side of the conveyor;

a guide means provided at the stowage side of the conveyor;

support members spaced longitudinally of the beam and connected thereto, said support members engaging the mineral-face-side guide means for movement along the conveyor;

a further cantilever support connected to the beam and engaging the stowage-side guide means for movement along the conveyor;

tool carriers each pivotably connected to a respective one of the support members;

a rotatable spindle supported on each tool carrier and disposed to incline downwards in a direction outwardly of the beam;

a floor cutter mounted at the distal end of each spindle, the floor cutter having mutually perpendicular cutting edges; and

means actuated from the stowage side of the installation for moving the spindles to adjust the position of the cutting edges of the floor cutters whereby to control the operative position of the plough;

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein each of the tool carriers has a blade disposed inwardly of the carrier to serve as a skimming and loading tool and cutters disposed outwardly of the carrier to serve as cutting tools.

7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said carrier above the first-mentioned cutters and a further blade is pivotably supported by each carrier and disposed above the firstmentioned blade, the further blade being connected for movement with the associated mounting piece.

8. A mineral winning machine comprising: an elongate beam carried on support means, tool carriers disposed at the ends of said beam and pivotable about axes extending laterally of the beam, cutters supported by each of said tool carriers, and. blades disposed inwardly of each carrier, the blades associated with each tool carrier comprising a lower blade attached to the carrier and an upper blade disposed above said lower blade and pivoted to said carrier.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the upper blade forms a skimming tool and the lower blade forms a skimming and loading tool.

10. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the lower blade has a cutting edge which is angularly inclined in relation to the beam and the lower blade projects and tapers to converge inwardly of the beam.

11. A machine according to claim 8 wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece: pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said beam.

12. A machine according to claim 8, wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said beam, the mounting piece and the upper blade associated with each tool carrier being interconnected with a rod so that when the mounting piece is pivoted to a working position to present said further cutters to a mineral face, the upper blade connected thereto is pivoted to a non-working position away from the face and vice versa.

13. A machine according to claim 12, wherein the axis of pivotal movement of the mounting piece and the axis of pivotal movement of the associated upper blade connected thereto converge in a direction upwardly of said beam so that the further cutters and the upper blade may be selectively disposed substantially perpendicularly in relation to the beam to adopt a working position.

14. A machine according to claim; 8, wherein the cutters supported by each tool carrier are staggered vertically and offset from one another axially of the beam. l 

1. In a mineral winning machine composed of an elongate beam carried on supports spaced apart longitudinally of the beam and pivotable tool carriers disposed at the ends of the beam; the improvement comprising means for controlling the working position of the machine, said control means being in the form of adjustable floor cutters each mounted on a spindle rotatably supported on a respective one of the tool carriers.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the spindles are each inclined downwardly in a direction outwardly of the associated end of the beam.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein each floor cutter has a first cutting edge for engagement with the floor of a mine working and a second cutting edge perpendicular to said first edge and for engagement with a mineral face.
 4. A machine according to claim 1, wherein each spindle supports at least one further cutter disposed above said floor cutter.
 5. A mineral mining installation comprising: a longwall conveyor; an elongate beam; a guide means provided at the mineral face side of the conveyor; a guide means provided at the stowage side of the conveyor; support members spaced longitudinally of the beam and connected thereto, said support members engaging the mineral-face-side guide means for movement along the conveyor; a further cantilever support connected to the beam and engaging the stowage-side guide means for movement along the conveyor; tool carriers each pivotably connected to a respective one of the support members; a rotatable spindle supported on each tool carrier and disposed to incline downwards in a direction outwardly of the beam; a floor cutter mounted at the distal end of each spindle, the floor cutter having mutually perpendicular cutting edges; and means actuated from the stowage side of the installation for moving the spindles to adjust the position of the cutting edges of the floor cutters whereby to control the operative position of the plough.
 6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein each of the tool carriers has a blade disposed inwardly of the carrier to serve as a skimming and loading tool and cutters disposed outwardly of the carrier to serve as cutting tools.
 7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said carrier above the first-mentioned cutters and a further blade is pivotably supported by each carrier and disposed above the first-mentioned blade, the further blade being connected for movement with the associated mounting piece.
 8. A mineral winning machine comprising: an elongate beam carried on support means, tool carriers disposed at the ends of said beam and pivotable about axes extending laterally of the beam, cutters supported by each of said tool carriers, and blades disposed inwardly of each carrier, the blades associated with each tool carrier comprising a lower blade attached to the carrier and an upper blade disposed above said lower blade and pivoted to said carrier.
 9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the upper blade forms a skimming tool and the lower blade forms a skimming and loading tool.
 10. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the lower blade has a cutting edge which is angularly inclined in relation to the beam and the lower blade projects and tapers to converge inwardly of the beam.
 11. A machine according to claim 8 wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said beam.
 12. A machine according to claim 8, wherein each tool carrier has a mounting piece pivotably attached thereto, said mounting piece supporting further cutters disposed to face outwardly of said beam, the mounting piece and the upper blade associated with each tool carrier being interconnected with a rod so that when the mounting piece is pivoted to a working position to present said further cutters to a mineral face, the upper blade connected thereto is pivoted to a non-working position away from the face aNd vice versa.
 13. A machine according to claim 12, wherein the axis of pivotal movement of the mounting piece and the axis of pivotal movement of the associated upper blade connected thereto converge in a direction upwardly of said beam so that the further cutters and the upper blade may be selectively disposed substantially perpendicularly in relation to the beam to adopt a working position.
 14. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the cutters supported by each tool carrier are staggered vertically and offset from one another axially of the beam. 